Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has strongly criticized Labour Party presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, over remarks made during a recent appearance at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. According to Sanwo-Olu, Obi’s speech—where he highlighted Nigeria’s poverty levels and criticized current economic policies—amounted to an attempt to portray the country negatively before an international audience. The Lagos governor expressed concern over what he termed Obi’s “disturbing pattern” of behavior, stating that prominent Nigerians should focus on promoting a positive image of the nation abroad, regardless of their political affiliations or views of the current administration.

Sanwo-Olu particularly objected to Obi’s comments about economic hardship under the present government. He countered by accusing Obi of failing to tackle poverty effectively during his own tenure as Anambra State governor. Citing statistics, Sanwo-Olu claimed that Anambra’s poverty rate rose from 41.4% when Obi assumed office in 2007 to 53.7% within just two years. He further argued that Obi’s successor, Willie Obiano, later managed to drastically reduce that rate to 14.8%, thereby casting doubt on Obi’s moral authority to criticize national economic policies.

In contrast, Sanwo-Olu praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under whom he previously served as a commissioner, claiming Tinubu successfully cut poverty in Lagos by over 46% during his own time as governor from 1999 to 2007. He cited Tinubu’s investments in education and student loans as evidence of impactful leadership, contrasting this with Obi’s alleged failure to build any major school or hospital during his administration.

Sanwo-Olu concluded by questioning Obi’s credibility, asserting that someone who “contributed to the increase in poverty” should not be the one casting stones at others. His comments have added fuel to the ongoing political tension between APC supporters and the Labour Party, especially in the wake of Obi’s surprising performance in the 2023 presidential election.